Grand Canyon Times

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently released their operational statistics for the month of July. In light of the number of arrests at the southern border during the agency’s fiscal year so far, analysts have expressed concern of surpassing the two million mark for the first time ever. Illicit drug seizures such as fentanyl, have also dramatically increased during fiscal year 2022 to date. Some critics have argued that Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly hasn't done enough to address the problem.

Thus far in Fiscal Year 2022, which runs Oct. 1, 2021 through Sept. 30, U.S. Border Patrol agents have made over 1.8 million arrests at the southern border, according to the most recent data released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The current border arrest number already beats the the record set last fiscal year, which was 1.66 million apprehensions in the year ending September 2021. With roughly two months left in the agency’s fiscal year, analysts predict full-year arrests will break the two-million mark for the first time ever, according to The Wall Street Journal.

"Border Patrol agents have made about 1.82 million arrests at the southern border in the government’s fiscal year that began in October, the second year under the Biden administration that arrests hit an all-time record," The Wall Street Journal wrote in an Aug. 15 Twitter post.

Despite Kelly's repeated criticizing of President Joe Biden's lack of urgency on the southern border crisis, he "has failed to match his rhetoric with action," The Washington Free Beacon reported in November. "It appears that he'll give lip service to a topic, but then when push comes to shove, he's right in step with his party. And we know that as far as his party goes with border security, they're missing in action," National Border Patrol Council president Brandon Judd told the news source. Arizona Police Association president Justin Harris also accused the senator of "playing politics" with the southern border crisis as he looks to secure reelection this year in Arizona.

According to a press release, this month Kelly was part of a group who introduced the bipartisan Border Patrol Enhancement Act – a bill that would create a 2,500 agent reserve force, increase the number of total Border Patrol agents to 20,500 and raise Border Patrol pay by 14%.

In total, there were 199,976 encounters along the southwest land border in July, representing a 4% decrease compared to June, according to a CBP July 2022 operational monthly update.

According to CBP nationwide total encounter data for FY22TD through July, fentanyl seizures have already increased 203% when compared to the previous fiscal year.

CBP operational data from January shows that since Biden entered office in January 2021, Border Patrol agents have made over 3.3 million arrests at the southern border.